It’s almost time to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month with the first ever Fort Wayne Latino Film Festival, presented by El Mexicano Newspaper and Associates. The celebration will take place September 22-25.

Each year, many Americans observe and celebrate the contributions, cultures, and histories of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. In 1968, President Johnson initiated Hispanic Heritage Week; President Reagan expanded the observation in 1988 to its current 30-day period (September 15-October 15).

The festival commences September 22, with the presentation of acclaimed Mexican film producer Alan Jonsson Gavica, who will present his film La Carga (The Load), in which a Tameme Indian man and a noble Spanish woman flee through the forests of the New World in search of freedom in the sixteenth century. Their frantic journey softens the tension between them and dissolves their longstanding differences and creates intimate bonds that threaten their very survival. The film will be preceded by a seven-minute silent film by Spanish filmmaker Segundo de Chomon accompanied by a live jazz ensemble. Cocktails and Latino hors-d’oeuvres will precede the films and a discussion with the director will conclude the night. An intermission will occur.

A family day is also planned, featuring piñatas, candies, and arts and crafts, culminating with a popular Latino family oriented movie screening. A detailed schedule of events is also attached to this press release. Food will also be available from authentic Latino food trucks.

These events will take place simultaneously at the Cinema Center and the INDIANA TECH Magee-O’Connor Theater on the campus of Indiana Tech.